Archives for Politics

Another prominent Republican gathering, more evidence of the dueling legacies of President Ronald Reagan overhanging the party as it tries to widen its reach and avoid extending its presidential losing streak in 2016. There’s Reagan the doctrinaire icon of modern conservatism who declared at his inauguration that “government isn’t the solution; government is the problem.” Then there’s Reagan the pragmatic president who negotiated with Democrats and other Republicans on taxes, spending and immigration, among other issues. Both Reagans made an appearance at a national conservative summit in Louisiana, and the divide is at the core of the GOP’s identity searchRead More

Mississippi’s Senate primary has morphed from a high-profile proxy for the national fight between the tea party and establishment Republicans into an ad war driven by clandestine images of Sen. Thad Cochran’s ailing wife in an online video. State Sen. Chris McDaniel, who aims to deliver a rare victory for the tea party this midterm election year primary season, unveiled a statewide ad Tuesday accusing Cochran of “outrageous” attacks. McDaniel’s campaign describes the spot as a “six-figure” ad buy. It comes after the Cochran campaign launched its own ad last week that shows a McDaniel supporter — conservative Mississippi bloggerRead More

Concerned murmurs are rippling through Iowa’s Republican circles, worried that the ways U.S. Senate primary candidates are appealing to the base now could haunt the party come November, despite chipper talk that the five-way race is a healthy way to ignite the GOP. Some Republicans say state Sen. Joni Ernst’s recent campaign ad featuring her firing a handgun will not sit well with some swing voters when Democrats resurrect it. Likewise, others say former Reliant Energy CEO Mark Jacobs’ past public statements supporting climate-change legislation make him indistinguishable from likely Democratic nominee Bruce Braley. In what is their best chanceRead More

A judge on Friday ordered U.S. Rep. John Conyers’ name placed on the August primary ballot, trumping Michigan election officials who said the Democrat was ineligible because of problems with his nominating petitions. The ruling by U.S. District Judge Matthew Leitman capped a turbulent day of law and politics and appeared to diminish the possibility that Conyers — No. 2 in seniority in the House — might have to mount a write-in campaign to keep his 50-year congressional career alive. Conyers needed 1,000 petition signatures to get a spot in the Democratic primary. But many petitions were thrown out becauseRead More

It wasn’t all that long ago that Republicans used gay marriage as a tool to drive Election Day turnout. But as public opinion on the issue has turned and courts strike down same-sex marriage bans, gay rights is evolving into a wedge issue for Democrats to wield. Consider Pennsylvania, where Democrats have lambasted Republican Gov. Tom Corbett for comparing gay marriage to incest. Facing a tough re-election campaign, Corbett decided this week not to appeal a federal court ruling striking down the state’s ban of gay marriage. Or Colorado, where Democratic Sen. Mark Udall is hitting his Republican challenger forRead More

The odds of hosting the Republican Party’s next presidential convention have improved for Dallas, Denver, Cleveland and Kansas City, Missouri. Two other players, Las Vegas and Cincinnati, have folded. The four remaining cities will be making in-city pitches to party officials looking for a host with ample meeting space, hotels and transportation to accommodate tens of thousands of visitors. Another crucial requirement: deep pockets. The host city would have to pick up a tab as high as $60 million. Dallas is seen as a leading contender, in part because of its coalition of wealthy donors, ties to the Bush familyRead More

Despite accomplishing much of his agenda — or perhaps, because of it — Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback has run into a wave of negative repercussions that have roiled his prospects for re-election and ignited Democratic hopes in this deeply red state. Elected three years ago as a leading conservative voice for making state government more business-friendly, Brownback has rolled over his opponents in Kansas to pass tax and spending cuts that seemed to pave a smooth path to a second term. But recent developments have left his office on the defensive, illustrating the difficulties of putting some of his fiscalRead More

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell dispatched his tea party challenger with ease Tuesday night, and Democrats turned to two women, Alison Lundergan Grimes to oppose him in Kentucky and Michelle Nunn to fight for Georgia, in elections next fall with control of the Senate at stake. Setting up a third high-profile race, Democratic Sen. Mark Pryor of Arkansas and his Republican challenger, Rep. Tom Cotton, were unopposed for their parties’ nominations. On the busiest primary night of the year to date, Democrats eyeing a return to power in the Pennsylvania state Capitol nominated businessman Tom Wolf to oppose Republican Gov.Read More

Tuesday’s primary elections will give establishment Republicans another chance to defeat tea party-backed candidates, but some political activists are asking if it makes much difference. They see tea partyers losing individual races but winning the larger ideological war by tugging the Republican Party rightward. Several tea party-endorsed candidates are struggling in Tuesday’s Republican congressional primaries in Georgia, Kentucky and Idaho. In each state, however, the “establishment” Republican candidates have emphasized their conservative credentials, which narrows the party’s philosophical differences. Brent Bozell, a sharp critic of Republican moderation, said: “With virtually no exception, everyone is running as a conservative. No oneRead More

Courting powerful Jewish donors for the second time in two months, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie called Sunday for a more aggressive foreign policy that defends American values abroad — even in “in some very messy, difficult places.” “The rest of the world watches in desperation and hope that America will realize and act upon once again its indispensable place in the world,” Christie, a prospective Republican presidential contender, said in a keynote address Sunday at the Champions of Jewish Values International awards gala in New York. “We must lead.” He charged that America must represent the strongest military andRead More